Mechanical target toy



Feb, 10, 1942. J. w. BUTLER 12,272,591

MECHANICAL TARGET TOY I Filed Sept. 14, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheetl INVENTOR-ATTORNEY.

Feb. l0, 1942.- I J, w, BUTLER 2,272,597 7 MECHANICAL TARGET TOY FiledSept. 14, 1940 4 Shee ts-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

I J5me: IMBuf/er' BY W ATTORNEY.

Feb. 10, 1942.

.1. w. BUTLER MECHANICAL TARGET TOY 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 14,1940 INVENTOR. BY m 4 fiufier ATTORNEY.

Feb. 10, 1942. w, BUTLER 2,272,597

MECHANICAL. TARGET TOY Filed Sept. 14, 1940 I ,4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I fi 56ee 2 a2 6/ r 7/ I INVENTOR. James .Buf/er' ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 1 0, 1 942 UNHTED stars orrics 4 Claims.

This invention relates to mechanical target toys, and more particularlyto toys of this nature which are provided with moving targets which areadapted to be struck by a missile or projectile rejected from a toy gun,and has for one of its objects the provision of such a toy which willamuse children as well as grown-ups.

Another object of the invention is the provision of such a toy,comprising a motor driven drum or frame carrying pivotally mountedtargets which are normally held in horizontal position againstaccidental displacement on the said drum, but which, when struck by themissile will become displaced and swing down to assume a verticalhanging position.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a toy of thenature referred to, in which the various moving targets are providedwith different numerical values thus adapting the said toy to be used inplaying games by two or more players.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means forsimultaneously resetting all of the targets after displacement by theprojectile.

Another object is to produce a device of the character described inwhich the maximum simplicity of construction and operation is secured.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the nature of theimprovements is better understood, the invention consistingsubstantially in the novel arrangement and co-relation of parts hereinfully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereinsimilar reference characters are used to describe corresponding partsthroughout the several views, and then finally pointed out andspecifically defined and indicated in the appended claims.

The disclosure made the basis of exemplifying the present inventiveconcept suggests a practical embodiment thereof, but the invention isnot to be restricted to the exact details of this disclosure, and thelatter, therefore, is to be under stood from an illustrative, ratherthan a restrictive standpoint.

In the accompanying drawings--- Figure l is a side view in elevationpartly broken away showing one form of my improved target toy;

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof partly broken away.

Figure 3 is an end view thereof looking from the left of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmental sectional view taken on line 4-4 Fig. 3.

Figure 5 isa fragmental sectional view taken on line 55 Fig. 4;

Figure 6 is a fragmental perspective view of the target carrying arm;

Figure 7 is a top plan view of a modified form of the invention showingthe toy provided with a target resetting device;

Figure 8 is a sectional view thereof taken on line 8-8 Fig. 7;

Figure 9 is a fragmental side view showing the target arm supportingslot and Figure 10 is a fragmental perspective View .of the target pivotor. mounting.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 6 of the drawings in detail I 5 indicates abase made of any suitable material, the said base supporting an uprightcylinder I6 near the bottom of which there is mounted a cross shaft I!which carries a spring motor IS, the shaft I'l being provided with afinger piece I 9 for winding the clock spring 20 of the said motor I8.

A vertical shaft 2! is driven by the said motor by means of a bevel gear22 at the lower end of the said shaft, said gear 22 being in mesh with asimilar gear 23 on the motor. Secured to the upper end of the shaft 2|is a housing drum or frame 24 which has secured thereto at the insidethereof a circular wire band or ring 25 which acts as a pivotal supportfor a plurality of arms 26 preferably made of wire. The said armsproject outwardly of the drum 24 through openings 21 and have inwardlyprojecting portions 28 which carry numbered plates 29, the numbers 36 onthe various plates being of dilferent value. The outer end of the arms26 each carry a target 3! in the present instance the targets 3| aresimulations of air planes. A block 32 secured to the target acts as abearing for the wire arm 26 the outermost end 33 of which penetrates theairplane target 3! to prevent rotary movement thereof upon the saidwire. The indicia carrying plates 29 are normally when the arms 26 arein horizontal position hidden from view by housings 35.

When the targets are in normal horizontal position, the inner arms 28are in engagement with retaining slots 36 in plates 3? in the interiorof the drum 24. (See Figs. 2, 4, and 5.) However when any of the saidtargets are struck by the striker 38 of the plunger 39 which forms apart of the spring gun 40, the said arm end 28 is thrown out of the slot36 and the target assumes the vertical dot and dash position shown inFig. 1,

the plate 29 and arm 28 moving through a T slot 41 in the upper wall 42of the drum 24. It will be noted that the bottom of the slots 36 areinclined and are each provided with a protuberance 43 (see Fig. 5), theobject of same being to prevent accidental disengagement due tovibration of the arms 28 of such targets that are not struck by thestriker 38, such vibration being caused when the said striker strikesone of the targets.

The gun 46 is mounted on the base and comprises in addition to theplunger 39, a tubular member secured to a supporting structure 46. Theplunger 39 terminates at the lower end thereof in a finger piece 41which projects outwardly of the tubular member 45 through a slot 48 andis guided by means of a collar 49 in engagement with the interior of thesaid tubular member and by a perforated plate 58 through which itpasses. Expulsion or upward movement of the plunger is accomplished bydrawing same against a coiled spring 5| (see Fig. l) by means of thefinger piece 41 and then releasing same. The return of the piston tonormal lower position is aided by means of an upper coiled spring 52which strikes the plate 56 When the plunger is in its uppermost positionand exerts a tension between the said plate 56 and collar 49.

The toy may be utilized for playing games by several players who areeach allotted a given number of chances, the player having the largestscore which is determined by the number of planes shot down and by theirtotal numerical values, is declared the winner.

In the form of my invention above described the planes or targets arereset manually by lifting each plane and swinging same into position sothat the arm 28 is in engagement with the slot 36. To reset all of theplanes or targets simultaneously I have provided a modified form of theinvention shown in Figs. '7 to 10.

In the said modified form of the invention the driven shaft 2| carries ahousing 55 in which is supported a Wire frame 56 upon which the targetcarrying arms 51 are pivotally mounted. Slots 58 having ofiset portions59 provide means for normally supporting the said arms 5'! when inextended horizontal position. Like the arms 26, the arms 51 are providedwith numerical indicia bearing plates 60 which are visible only when thearms 5'! are in displaced vertical position after being struck by themissile 38.

In order that all of the arms may be reset simultaneously, I provide acentral post 6| which extends vertically from the bottom wall 62 of thehousing 55 and which is suitably secured to the shaft 2!. superposed andtelescopically slidable over the said post BI is a cylindrical shell 63to the bottom of which is secured a plate 64 which is connected by meansof chains 65 to the indicia plates 66. The plate 64 and cylindricalshell is normally maintained in upper position by means of a spring Scoiled about the post 6| and exerting a tension between the said plate64 and bottom wall 62.

The resetting operation consists in depressing the shell 63 sufilcientlyto cause the target carrying arms through the connections 60, 64, and65, to extend horizontally and then turn the shell 63 in clockwisedirection to bring the said arms 5'! into the slot offset portions 59 sothat they may be supported upon the ledges 66 formed by the said ofisetportions 59. If desirable, raised portions 61 may be provided in theslots 66 to prevent accidental displacement of the arms 51 when notstruck by the gun. In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 1 to 6,when the targets are in horizontal position the arms 28 will be in theposition shown in Fig. 5 and the protuberance 43 will prevent sidewisemovement. When a target 3| is struck its arm 26 will pivot and rise atan angle to the left moving th arm 28 to right and bring same to thebottom of the slot 36 before raising same to the top thereof.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In a game apparatus, a target comprising a standard, a shaftrotatably mounted vertically in said standard and projecting upwardlyfrom the standard, a casing carried by the protruding upper portion ofsaid shaft and having openings about its periphery and opening in itstop, arms having inner end portions extending into the casing andpivoted therein to mount the arms for swinging movement from an elevatedhorizontal position radially of the casing to a depending verticalposition, objects carried by outer portions of said arms and disposedhorizontally when the arms are elevated, inner ends of said arms beingbent to extend upwardly through the upper openings of the casing andscoring members carried by the upwardly extending inner ends of saidarms and movable therewith through the top openings of the casing from aretracted position within the casing to an exposed position beyond theperiphery of the casing.

2. In a game apparatus, a target comprising a rotatably mounted uprightshaft, a horizontally disposed casing carried by said shaft in anelevated position, the casing having an upper wall formed with openingsand openings about its periphery below the upper openings, armsextending through the peripheral openings and pivotally mounted in thecasing for vertical swinging movement from an elevated position radiallyof the casing to a vertical position in depending relation to thecasing, objects carried by outer ends of said arms, the arms havinginner portions within the casing provided with fingers for movingupwardly through the upper openings and towards the periphery of thecasing as the arms swing downwardly, scoring plates carried by saidfingers and keepers within the casing for engaging the inner portions ofthe arms and releasably holding the arms elevated.

3. In a game apparatus, a target comprising a rotatably mounted uprightshaft, a horizontally disposed casing carried by said shaft in anelevated position, the casing having an upper wall formed with openingsand openings about its periphery below the upper openings, hoods carriedby the casing over the upper openings extending radially of the casingand open at their outer ends, a ring in the casing, arms extendingthrough the peripheral Openings and engaged about the ring to pivotallymount the arms for vertical swinging movement for an elevated positionradially of the casing to a lowered position in depending relation tothe periphery of the casing, said arms having inner end portionsprovided with fingers for moving through the upper openings of thecasing into the hoods and through the open ends of the hoods to anextended position as the arms move to a depending position, platescarried by said fingers and bearing indicia exposed when the fingers arein the extended position, objects carried by outer ends of said arms,and keepers within the casing for engaging inner portions of the arms tohold the arms elevated until the arms are moved out of engagement withthe keepers by a projective striking the objects.

4. In a game apparatus, a target comprising within the casing providedwith fingers for moving upwardly through the upper openings and towardsthe periphery of the casing to an extended position as the arms swingdownwardly, scoring members carried by said fingers and exposed when thefingers are in the extended position, and keepers within the casinghaving hooks disposed transversely of the arms for engaging over innerportions of the arms and holding the arms elevated until the objects arestruck and the arms shifted transversely to move their inner portionsout of engagement with the hooks and release the arms.

JAMES W. BUTLER.

